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Project Blue Book desk file, Socorro (217 pages)

The Black Vault (Rob Mercer collection) · 217 pages · text from the file's own layer

This 217-page Project Blue Book desk file on the 24 April 1964 Socorro, New Mexico sighting by policeman Lonnie Zamora comes from the Rob Mercer collection. It contains the Blue Book record card, which carries the case as unidentified pending more data, along with Foreign Technology Division messages and resumes and a narrative of the sighting. It also holds inquiries about lunar modules, helicopters and VTOL craft, soil and radiation findings, and a letter by J. Allen Hynek rejecting Donald Menzel's hoax hypothesis.

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UFO Sighting, Socorro, Nev Mexico, 24 Apr 64 26 May 64
Hq· USAF SAFOI PB (Mrs Gaiser)
· wash D c 20330
1. The following is a resume on the unidentified flying object
sighted by Mr ·Lonnie Zamora, of Socorro, Nev Mexico on 24 Apr 64,
results of the investigation so far, conclusions reached by FTD
and courses of action in continuing the investigation.
a. Background Information:
(1) At approximately 1745, 24 Apr 64 an unidentified
flying object was observed by t·fr Lonnie : .amorn in Socorro, Ne-w
Mexico. '!be sight i ng vas reported to Sgt Chave z of the Nev
Mexico State Police. The object sighted by !-!r ":amora had left
markings in the ground as vell as several. burned spots in the
area. '!he area '-'aS secured by Sgt Chavez and the commanding
officer, Capt HolderJof the Stallion Site at ~tc Sands noti-
fied. Capt Holder conducted an ini tinl investigation of the
sighting and obtained samples of the charred areas and d!.rt
surrounding the markings left by the UFO.
(2) Neva media and persons connected vith various UFO
organizations sueh as APRO and NICAP received word ·of the sight-
ing and sent investigators to the scene. Newpaper accounts of
the sighting had become much distorted vith reports of little
men n1nn1ng around and a rocket ship blasting off into space.
The account of the sighting carried in the El Defensor & Chieftain,
dated Tuesday, 28 April 1964 and the account by UPI representative
Charles Richard, carried inthe Albuquerque Journal, 'Z7 April 1964,
are essentially correct. As a result of vide nevs coverage and
public interest in the sighting, Captain Hector Quintanilla, Project
Officer, directed TSgt David Moody to assist in the investigation
tor the Air Force. Sgt Moody contacted Major Conner, the Officer
at Kirtland AFB responsible for unidentified flying object investi-
gations, and accompanied him to Socorro. Information obtained 1
during this investigation revealed that the sighting was legitimate ~
and there -was no indication that a hoax was being perpetrated. The
results o~ Capt Holder's investigation •~re received, interviews
vith Sgt Chavez and Lonnie Zamora vere conducted. A geiger counter
-was used to dete:rnrl.ne if radiation -was present in the area of the
IRob Mercer

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Document, cited by the archive. The PDF is mirrored here; the original link is above. 217 pages are in the text index: search them above, or from the library's search.